men of invention and industry-第18章

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can　be　more　easy　in　that　I　have　the　conquest；　and　though　I　have

no　reward；　than　if　I　had　come　short　of　the　matter　and　by　some

delusion　had　the　reward！〃



The　Right　Honourable　the　Earl　of　Egmont　was　in　the　chair　of　the

Board　of　Longitude　on　the　day　when　this　letter　was　readJune　13；

1765。　　The　Commissioners　were　somewhat　startled　by　the　tone　which

the　inventor　had　taken。　　Indeed；　they　were　rather　angry。　　Mr。

Harrison；　who　was　in　waiting；　was　called　in。　　After　some　rather

hot　speaking；　and　after　a　proposal　was　made　to　Harrison　which　he

said　he　would　decline　to　accede　to　〃so　long　as　a　drop　of　English

blood　remained　in　his　body；〃　he　left　the　room。　　Matters　were　at

length　arranged。　　The　Act　of　Parliament　（5　Geo。　III。　cap。　20）

awarded　him；　upon　a　full　discovery　of　the　principles　of　his

time…keeper；　the　payment　of　such　a　sum；　as　with　the　2500L。　he　had

already　received；　would　make　one　half　of　the　reward；　and　the

remaining　half　was　to　be　paid　when　other　chronometers　had　been

made　after　his　design；　and　their　capabilities　fully　proved。　　He

was　also　required　to　assign　his　four　chronometersone　of　which

was　styled　a　watchto　the　use　of　the　public。



Harrison　at　once　proceeded　to　give　full　explanations　of　the

principles　of　his　chronometer　to　Dr。　Maskelyne；　and　six　other

gentlemen；　who　had　been　appointed　to　receive　them。　　He　took　his

timekeeper　to　pieces　in　their　presence；　and　deposited　in　their

hands　correct　drawings　of　the　same；　with　the　parts；　so　that　other

skilful　makers　might　construct　similar　chronometers　on　the　same

principles。　　Indeed；　there　was　no　difficulty　in　making　them；

after　his　explanations　and　drawings　had　been　published。　　An　exact

copy　of　his　last　watch　was　made　by　the　ingenious　Mr。　Kendal；　and

was　used　by　Captain　Cook　in　his　three　years'　circumnavigation　of

the　world；　to　his　perfect　satisfaction。



England　had　already　inaugurated　that　series　of　scientific

expeditions　which　were　to　prove　so　fruitful　of　results；　and　to

raise　her　naval　reputation　to　so　great　a　height。　　In　these

expeditions；　the　officers；　the　sailors；　and　the　scientific　men；

were　constantly　brought　face　to　face　with　unforeseen　difficulties

and　dangers；　which　brought　forth　their　highest　qualities　as　men。　

There　was；　however；　some　intermixture　of　narrowness　in　the　minds

of　those　who　sent　them　forth。　　For　instance；　while　Dr。　Priestley

was　at　Leeds；　he　was　asked　by　Sir　Joseph　Banks　to　join　Captain

Cook's　second　expedition　to　the　Southern　Seas；　as　an　astronomer。　

Priestley　gave　his　assent；　and　made　arrangements　to　set　out。　　But

some　weeks　later；　Banks　informed　him　that　his　appointment　had

been　cancelled；　as　the　Board　of　Longitude　objected　to　his

theology。　　Priestley's　otherwise　gentle　nature　was　roused。　　〃What

I　am；　and　what　they　are；　in　respect　of　religion；〃　he　wrote　to

Banks；　in　December；　1771；　〃might　easily　have　been　known　before

the　thing　was　proposed　to　me　at　all。　　Besides；　I　thought　that

this　had　been　a　business　of　philosophy；　and　not　of　divinity。　　If；

however；　this　be　the　case；　I　shall　hold　the　Board　of　Longitude　in

extreme　contempt。〃



Captain　Cook　was　appointed　to　the　command　of　the　Resolution；　and

Captain　Wallis　to　the　command　of　the　Adventure；　in　November；

1771。　　They　proceeded　to　equip　the　ships；　and　amongst　the　other

instruments　taken　on　board　Captain　Cook's　ship；　were　two

timekeepers；　one　made　by　Mr。　Larcum　Kendal；　on　Mr。　Harrison's

principles；　and　the　other　by　Mr。　John　Arnold；　on　his　own。　　The

expedition　left　Deptford　in　April；　1772；　and　shortly　afterwards

sailed　for　the　South　Seas。　　〃Mr。　Kendal's　watch〃　is　the　subject

of　frequent　notices　in　Captain　Cook's　account。　　At　the　Cape　of

Good　Hope；　it　is　said　to　have　〃answered　beyond　all　expectation。〃

Further　south；　in　the　neighbourhood　of　Cape　Circumcision；　he

says；　〃the　use　of　the　telescope　is　found　difficult　at　first；　but

a　little　practice　will　make　it　familiar。　　By　the　assistance　of

the　watch　we　shall　be　able　to　discover　the　greatest　error　this

method　of　observing　the　longitude　at　sea　is　liable　to。〃　　It　was

found　that　Harrison's　watch　was　more　correct　than　Arnold's；　and

when　near　Cape　Palliser　in　New　Zealand；　Cook　says；　〃this　day　at

noon；　when　we　attended　the　winding…up　of　the　watches；　the　fusee

of　Mr。　Arnold's　would　not　turn　round；　so　that　after　several

unsuccessful　trials　we　were　obliged　to　let　it　go　down。〃　　From

this　time；　complete　reliance　was　placed　upon　Harrison's

chronometer。　　Some　time　later；　Cook　says；　〃I　must　here　take

notice　that　our　longitude　can　never　be　erroneous　while　we　have　so

good　a　guide　as　Mr。　Kendal's　watch。〃　　It　may　be　observed；　that　at

the　beginning　of　the　voyage；　observations　were　made　by　the　lunar

tables；　but　these；　being　found　unreliable；　were　eventually

discontinued。



To　return　to　Harrison。　　He　continued　to　be　worried　by　official

opposition。　　His　claims　were　still　unsatisfied。　　His　watch　at

home　underwent　many　more　trials。　　Dr。　Maskelyne；　the　Royal

Astronomer；　was　charged　with　being　unfavourable　to　the　success　of

chronometers；　being　deeply　interested　in　finding　the　longitude　by

lunar　tables；　although　this　method　is　now　almost　entirely

superseded　by　the　chronometer。　　Harrison　accordingly　could　not

get　the　certificate　of　what　was　due　to　him　under　the　Act　of

Parliament。　　Years　passed　before　he　could　obtain　the　remaining

amount　of　his　reward。　　It　was　not　until　the　year　1773；　or

forty…five　years　after　the　commencement　of　his　experiments；　that

he　succeeded　in　obtaining　it。　　The　following　is　an　entry　in　the

list　of　supplies　granted　by　Parliament　in　that　year：　〃June　14。　

To　John　Harrison；　as　a　further　reward　and　encouragement　over　and

above　the　sums　already　received　by　him；　for　his　invention　of　a

timekeeper　for　ascertaining　the　longitude　at　sea；　and　his

discovery　of　the　principles　upon　which　the　same　was　constructed；

8570　pounds　0s。　0d。



John　Harrison　did　not　long　survive　the　settlement　of　his　claims；

for　he　died　on　the　24th　of　March；　1776；　at　the　age　of

eighty…three。　　He　was　buried　at　the　south…west　corner　of

Hampstead　parish　churchyard；　where　a　tombstone　was　erected　to　his

memory；　and　an　inscription　placed　upon　it　commemorating　his

services。　　His　wife　survived　him　only　a　year；　she　died　at

seventy…two；　and　was　buried　in　the　same　tomb。　　His　son；　William

Harrison；　F。R。S。；　a　deputy…lientenant　of　the　counties　of　Monmouth

and　Middlesex；　died　in　1815；　at　the　ripe　age　of　eighty…eight；　and

was　also　interred　there。　　The　tomb　having　stood　for　more　than　a

century；　became　somewhat　dilapidated；　when　the　Clock…makers'

Company　of　the　City　of　London　took　steps　in　1879　to　reconstruct

it；　and　recut　the　inscriptions。　　An　appropriate　ceremony　took

place　at　the　final　uncovering　of　the　tomb。



But　perhaps　the　most　interesting　works　connected　with　John

Harrison　and　the　great　labour　of　his　life；　are　the　wooden　clock

at　the　South　Kensington　Museum；　and　the　four　chronometers　made　by

him　for　the　Government；　which　are　still　preserved　at　the　Royal

Observatory；　Greenwich。　　The　three　early　ones　are　of　great

weight；　and　can　scarcely　be　moved　without　some　bodily　labour。　

But　the　fourth；　the　marine　chronometer　or　watch；　is　of　small

dimensions；　and　is　easily　handled。　　It　still　possesses　the　power

of　going　accurately；　as　does　〃Mr。　Kendal's　watch；〃　which　was　made

exactly　after　it。　　These　will　always　prove　the　best　memorials　of

this　distinguished　workman。



Before　concluding　this　brief　notice　of　the　life　and　labours　of

John　Harrison；　it　becomes　me　to　thank　most　cordially　Mr。

Christie；　Astronomer…Royal；　for　his　kindness　in　exhibiting　the

various　chronometers　deposited　at　the　Greenwich　Observatory；　and

for　his　permission　to　inspect　the　minutes　of　the　Board　of

Longitude；　where　the　various　interviews　between　the　inventor　and

the　commissioners；　extending　over　many　years；　are　faithfully　but

too　procrastinatingly　recorded。　　It　may　be　finally　said　of　John

Harrison；　that　by　his　invention　of　the　chronometerthe

ever…sleepless　and　ever…trusty　friend　of　the　mariner　he

conferred　an　incalculable　benefit　on　science　and　navigation；　and

established　his　claim　to　be　regarded　as　one　of　the　greatest

benefactors　of　mankind。



POstscript。In　addition　to　the　information　contained　in　this

chapter；　I　have　been　recently　informed　by　the　Rev。　Mr。　Sankey；

vicar　of　Wragby；　that　the　family　is　quite　extinct　in　the　parish；

except　the　wife　of　a　plumber；　who　claims　relationship　with

Harrison。　　The　representative　of　the　Winn　family　was　created　Lord

St。　Oswald　in　1885。　　Harrison　is　not　quite　forgotten　at　Foulby。　

The　house　in　which　he　was　born　was　a　low　thatched　cottage；　with

two　rooms；　one　used　as　a　living　room；　and　the　other　as　a　sleeping

room。　　The　house　was　pulled　down　about　forty　years　ago；　but　the

entrance　door；　being　of　strong；　hard　wood；　is　still　preserved。　

The　vicar　adds　that　young　Harrison　would　lie　out　on　the　grass　all

night　in　summer　time；　studying　the　details　of　his　wooden　clock。





Footnotes　to　Chapter　III。



＇1＇　Originally　published　in　Longmam's　Magazine；　but　now　rewritten

and　enlarged。



＇2＇　Popular　Astronomy。　　By　Simon　Newcomb；　LL。D。；　Professor　U。S。

Naval　Observatory。



＇3＇　Biographia　Britannica；　vol。　vi。　part　2；　p。　4375。　　This　volume

was　published　in　1766；　before　the　final　reward　had　been　granted

to　Harrison。



＇4＇　This　clock　is　in　the　possession　of　Abraham　Riley；　of　Bromley；

near　Leeds。　　He　informs　us　that　the　clock　is　made　of　wood

throughout；　excepting　the　escapement　and　the　dial；　which　are　made

of　brass。　　It　bears　the　mark　of　〃John　Harrison；　1713。〃



＇5＇　Harrison's　compensation　pendulum　was　afterwards　improved　by

Arnold；　Earnshaw；　and　other　English　makers。　　Dent's　prismatic

balance　is　now　considered　the　best。



＇6＇　See　Mr。　Folkes's　speech　to　the　Royal　Soc。；　30th　Nov。；　1749。



＇7＇　No　trustworthy　lunar　tables　existed　at　that　time。　　It　was　not

until　the　year　1753　that　Tobias　Mayer；　a　German；　published　the

first　lunar　tables　which　could　be　relied　upon。　　For　this；　the

British　Government　afterwards　awarded　to　Mayer's　widow　the　sum　of

5000L。



＇8＇　Sir　Isaac　Newton　gave　his　design　to　Edmund　Halley；　then

Astronomer…Royal。　　Halley　laid　it　on　one　side；　and　it　was　found

among　his　papers　after　his　death　in　1742；　twenty…five　years　after

the　death　of　Newton。　　A　similar　omission　was　made　by　Sir　G。　B。

Airy；　which　led　to　the　discovery　of　Neptune　being　attributed　to

Leverrier　instead　of　to　Adams。





CHAPTER　IV。



JOHN　LOMBE：　INTRODUCER　OF　THE　SILK　INDUSTRY　INTO　ENGLAND。



〃By　Commerce　are　acquired　the　two　things　which　wise　men　accompt

of　all　others　the　most　necessary　to　the　well…being　of　a

Commonwealth：　That　is　to　say；　a　general　Industry　of　Mind　and

Hardiness　of　Body；　which　never　fail　to　be　accompanyed　with　Honour

and　Plenty。　　So　that；　questionless；　when　Commerce　does　not

flourish；　as　well　as　other　Professions；　and　when　Particular

Persons　out　of　a　habit　of　Laziness　neglect　at　once　the　noblest

way